"The West is facing a concerted effort by Islamic jihadists, the motives and goals of whom are largely ignored by the Western media, to destroy the West and bring it forcibly into the Islamic world -- and to commit violence to that end even while their overall goal remains out of reach. That effort goes under the general rubric of jihad."-- Robert Spencer

Friday, January 06, 2006

Italian Hostage Update

Five Italian hostages released in Yemen. For once, the thugs were forced to surrender at gunpoint, and were tossed in the clink. Demanded: release of homeboys imprisoned by Yemeni authorities. Obtained: satisfyingly, the next cell over.

Of course, no matter how these things end, European hostages compliment their captors rather than the guys who came to the rescue.

Former hostage Patrizia Rossi spoke of anxious moments during the ordeal with "machine guns pointed at us, always threatening."

Former hostage Maura Tonetto said that after a night on the move, the kidnappers found themselves cornered and gave up quickly Friday.

"Finally at around 5 a.m., we heard firing and the noise of a helicopter. When the kidnappers saw the government troops moving in, two of them who were armed with Kalashnikovs, held the rifles above their heads and then put them down on the ground. The soldiers arrested the kidnappers and took them to the helicopter," Tonetto said.

Tonetto said the kidnappers never mistreated them.

Well, except for that little matter of FORCIBLY KIDNAPPING and POINTING MACHINE GUNS at them. It is any wonder Arabs have no respect for Europeans?

It is believed that the kidnappers became discouraged when the chiefs of [their own] al-Zaydi tribe came out against the abduction.